Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has revisited his altercation with Federico Valverde, insisting the pair never came to blows and revealing that the incident ultimately brought them closer together.
Speaking on The Bridge (h/t AS), the Frenchman addressed the controversy that overshadowed Real Madrid’s final weeks of the 2025/26 season.
The incident occurred in May, with Valverde subsequently taken to hospital with a head injury.
The club opened disciplinary proceedings against both midfielders before imposing a €500,000 fine on each player.
Tchouameni denies reports of physical fight with Valverde
Addressing the speculation surrounding the incident, Tchouameni rejected claims that the disagreement escalated into a fight.
“People talk a lot, but there was no row between Valverde and me. Yes, it’s true that things happen in the changing room, but we never had a row.
Tchouameni and Valverde were involved in a scuffle back in May. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
“In a changing room there are digs and things like that, but I never came to blows with Valverde. It’s true that there was a bit of a nasty incident.
“The only problem with all this is that it’s Real Madrid, and anything – however small – gets blown out of all proportion and takes on a completely crazy media dimension.
“Something that wasn’t necessarily a problem ends up becoming one,” he said.
The midfielder also explained how the incident prompted concern from people around him, while comparing the situation to tensions commonly seen in other sports.
“Afterwards, everyone rang me to find out what was going on and if I was all right.
“They want to know what happened, but these days you have to be very discreet. To reassure people, I had to tell them that nothing was wrong.
Valverde and Tchouameni have moved on from the incident. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
“I once saw an NFL documentary and these things happen there all the time.”
Tchouameni and Valverde have moved on from the controversy
The controversy attracted further attention after club president Florentino Pérez publicly played down the incident, arguing that disagreements between teammates were not unusual, although the fact that the episode became public was problematic.
Tchouameni has now made clear that his relationship with Valverde remains intact, both inside the dressing room and on the pitch.
“If you walk into the dressing room today, as Mourinho said, you’ll see that Valverde and I are fine; there’s no problem between us.
“On the pitch, there’s no problem either – life goes on. And in fact, even these things bring you closer to the other person. We’re fine; we don’t have any problems,” he concluded.